Island



.(Ko Model.)

I H. T. SMITH.

WATGHGASE PENDANT.

No. 568,375. Patented Sept. 29', 1896.

[ma/f.

IV/ TMEJJEJ. h men 70k} m: uonms Perms cow Pnoroumu AS concentric therewith.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY T. SMITH, OF PAINTUOKET, RHODE ISLAND.

WATCH'CASE-PEN DANT.

SPECIFICATION forming'part of Letters Patent No. 568,375, dated September 29, 1896.

Application filed May '7, 1896. Serial No. 590,515. (No model.)

Fig. 4 is a top View of the tubular portion of said pendant, and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the same as seen on line 1 y of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a top plan of the head-portion of said pendant, and Fig. '7 is a sectional view of the same as seen on the line of the major diame ter thereof. Fig. 8 is a View of the inner end of the foot portion of the device, and Fig. 9 is v a central longitudinal section of the same. Figs. 10,11, 12, 13,14,15, and 16 show modified forms of parts of said device.

My invention relates to watchcase-pendants; and it consists in the manufacture thereof in three sections, to wit, a tubular portion and a base or foot connected with it bya screw-thread and a head portion clamped in position upon the tubular portion by the base or foot, as hereinafter particularly specified.

In the drawings, A represents the tube having an annular shoulder a and a concentric tubular barrel a, which is screw-threaded on its exterior. The tube A on its top or edge is provided with the two slots diametrically arranged, as shown in Fig. 4.

B is the enlarged or body portion of the device, consisting of a head of a general oval shape, known in the art as the antique, and having the openings or holes Z) for the reception of the ends of the bow, as usual, and also the large, circular, flaring opening Z) at the top and the smaller circular opening I) The head B has its annular face b plane. The edge of the opening Z) may be either screw-threaded or not, as may be preferred.

O is is the base or foot portion of the device, having a rounded end with an opening 0 therein and a tube or barrel 0', whose end is smooth and whose interior is screwthreaded.

The parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 3. The flaring aperture 1) of the head B is of a diameter to admit the passage through it of the tube A, the annular shoulder ct of which rests squarely on the inner surface of the annular bottom b of the head, as fully illustrated in Fig. 3, while the barrel ct passes through the opening b of said head, as there shown. The barrel 0 of the foot O by its interior screw-threads engages the barrel a of the tube A upon the exterior screw-threads thereof, the plane end of the barrel 0 bearing against the annular face 11 of the head. It is thus apparent that the base or foot 0 serves as a nut or clamp upon the barrel a of the tube A, embracing firmly the plane annular portion 11 of the head 13 between the plane end of the barrel 0 of the foot 0 and the annular shoulder a of the tube A.

The tubular chamber of the part Ais screwthreaded and receives the pendant set material, the crown extending over the top and exposed portions of the tube A, as usual, and

the stem-arbor passing through the barrel a of the tube A and through the opening 0 of the foot 0.

By means of the screw-threads the parts A, B, and O are firmly united together without solder.

The foot or base 0 of the pendant is soldered to the watch-rim center in the usual manner, as seen in Fig. 1. The head B is then mounted on the tube A and the screwthreaded barrel a is entered into and engaged within the screw-threaded barrel 0 of the foot O'by means of a screw-driver,which is inserted in the slots or nicks a' of the tube A. When the barrel a has been screwed up tight in the barrel 0, the head B is firmly secured in position by the clamping action, as aforesaid.

By extending the tube-barrel a, as shown in Figs. 10 and 12, said barrel. may reach beyond the bottom of the foot 0, the central aperture 0 of the latter being enlarged sufficiently to allow its passage. In this manner the pendant may be connected to the watchrim center by the screw-threads at the end of said barrel, which enter a properly-screwthreaded aperture in said rim-center. In such construction, however, it is only necessary to provide the part of the barrel near the end with screw-threzuls, and said engagement with the rim-center gives all the clamping action required to hold the parts A, B, and O in firm and proper contact and position. The union of the end of the barrel with the rimcenter may be, however, further strenghened by means of a cross pin or screw, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 10, which, passing through a portion of the rim-center, enters the barrel on one side thereof.

In Figs. 13, 1-1, 15, and 16 I show how the tube A and barrel a may be made in two parts united by'a screw-thread connection.

Such watchcase-pendants have heretofore sometimes been made from one piece of metal by means of dies. From the great variety in the shape of the different portions of the article it has been (lllllOUlh to manufacture them, the dies being of such peculiar form and their cooperation requiring considerable skill. Moreover, such dies are expensive and liable to be injured in the operation. Sometimes said pendants have been made in two parts united by solder; but the heating of the metal tends to soften it and makes it less durable, especially at the openings or apertures where the ends of the beware mounted, such portions of the pendants being liable to wear and friction by the frequent turning of the bow in its bearings. Moreover, the solder is liable to discolor or disfigure the exposed surfaces unless it is applied with ex treme care.

The advantages of my improved construction are various and important, some of which I will briefly state. The cost of construction is greatly lessened. Instead of a body of varying surfaces and wid ely-dii'fering dimensions requiring expensive dies in. its forma tion and the exercise of aconsiderable degree of mechanical skill my watchcase-pendant is made in three sections, each simple in form and easy and cheap to construct. These separate pieces are shown in Figs. 5, 7, and 9. These separate pieces are united wholly by screws, and no solder is used for the purpose. The metal is thus left hard and durable.

It sometimes happens in the use of these pendants as heretofore constructed that by carelessness or haste the foot is not set exactly true in the rim-center, and so the bow, when extended, is not in the same plane with the rim-center, but at an angle therewith. This single defect is snllieient to render a watchca-se unsalable. In my construction the alinement is assured, because it can be exactly obtained by the proper turning of the screw to the desired degree.

When a pendant is made of one piece of metal, said metal must necessarily be of the same value or degree of lineness 5 but by male ing it of several pieces one piece may be liner than another, and especially where, as usual,

gold-plated stock is used the portion most liable to wear can be made from a more heavily-plated piece of stock, while the portions not especially exposed to friction can be made of a lighter plated stock.

The detachability of the parts enables me more easily to repair the pendant, or, if one part is worn, to substitute a new part for it. This interchangeability of parts allows a great variety in style and the making up of new patterns or combinations at little cost,which is of much advantage to the dealer as well as to the manufacturer.

This method of manufacturing watcheasependants is especially adapted to the use of seamless gold-plated tubing, such as is described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 432,017, issued to me March -l-, 1890, but it is also adapted to the use of gold-plated stock drawn in the usual manner.

By using the extended barrel (shown in Figs. 10 and 11) even the soldering of the pendant to the case-center can be dispensed with.

All edges of base metal are perfectly concealed, and the article,whcn titted in position and having its end covered by the crown, shows only gold-covered surfaces.

1 claim as a novel and useful invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The improved watchcase-pendant here in described, consisting of three sections, the outer two of which are provided with screwthreaded portions e11 gageable with each other, and the middle section secured between the outer sections by the clamping action of said screws, substantially as specilied.

2. In a watehcase-pendant, the combination of a tube having an annular shoulder and a hollow stem, which is screw-threaded on its exterior, a head centrally perforated to receive said tube and stem, and a foot or base cngageable with said stem and arranged to clamp said head to the tube on said annular shoulder, substantially as described.

3. In a watehcase-pendant, the combina' tion of a tube having an annular shoulder and a hollow stem which is screw-tlnreaded at its end, a head centrally perforated to receive said tube and stem and arranged to lie in forcible clamping contact with the annular shoulder of said tube by the action of the screw-threaded end of the tube with other engaging screw-threads, substantially as set forth.

l. The combination of a tube, a screwthreaded barrel, a head centrally perforated to admit the passage of said tube and barrel, and a foot engageable with said barrel and adapted to clamp the head to the tube, substantially as described.

IIEXRY '1. SMITH. \Vitnesses:

RoswELL (3. SMITH, (lirrorras P. 13A RNE n in L1,). 

